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Experts in a Dying Field: The funny and moving novel about friendship, secrets, and the alchemy of music
'Offbeat, ironic, humane and hilarious, Experts in a Dying Field is an earworm you’ll be humming along to for a long time to come.' PAUL MURRAY
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The Heathens thought of themselves as 'the 1000th best band of all time'. Then their tour van crashed, and one of their members died.
Twenty years later, weird things are happening in Dublin, bringing the surviving members of the band together in ways none of them could have anticipated and lifting the lid on mysteries from their shared past.
Experts in a Dying Field is a gloriously sharp, witty and surprising novel about friendship, secrets, the strange workings of grief and guilt, and the joyful alchemy of music, from a writer with a unique ability to access humour and deep emotion.
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The Heathens thought of themselves as 'the 1000th best band of all time'. Then their tour van crashed, and one of their members died.
Twenty years later, weird things are happening in Dublin, bringing the surviving members of the band together in ways none of them could have anticipated and lifting the lid on mysteries from their shared past.
Experts in a Dying Field is a gloriously sharp, witty and surprising novel about friendship, secrets, the strange workings of grief and guilt, and the joyful alchemy of music, from a writer with a unique ability to access humour and deep emotion.
315 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
April 25, 2026
4.5/5
Patrick Freyne brings you the history of The Heathens, the 1000th best band of all time. It must be true because they even have their greatest hits album out. The fact that it was their only record is unimportant.
The Heathens, however, are no more. Their story ended one night in a field in Galway when their van overturned, killing their lead singer, Joss, and leaving the rest of the band - Snoopy, Maggie and Burton blaming themselves and each other.
So when Maggie turns up back in Dublin it seems like the right time to find out exactly what did happen on the night of their very last gig. As if that wasnt enough to unravel why has Burton taken to abusing computers and exactly who is The Captain and why is he so fascinated with The Heathens music?
Patrick Freyne has produced another totally off the wall novel. His characters and dialogue are brilliantly drawn. I could imagine each of them and everywhere they went.
Funny, clever and immensely readable. Experts is not the laugh-fest Mr Freyne gave us in Okay, We'll Do Your Stupid Idea but it is entertaining and there are some truly laugh-out-loud parts. But he mixes this with a thoughtful book about youth, grief, loss and belonging.
I loved it. It's such a gentle book that shows what an entertaining and empathetic writer Patrick Freyne is. I can't wait until he writes another and just hope I don't have to wait too long.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Penguin General UK for the digital review copy. Most appreciated.
Patrick Freyne brings you the history of The Heathens, the 1000th best band of all time. It must be true because they even have their greatest hits album out. The fact that it was their only record is unimportant.
The Heathens, however, are no more. Their story ended one night in a field in Galway when their van overturned, killing their lead singer, Joss, and leaving the rest of the band - Snoopy, Maggie and Burton blaming themselves and each other.
So when Maggie turns up back in Dublin it seems like the right time to find out exactly what did happen on the night of their very last gig. As if that wasnt enough to unravel why has Burton taken to abusing computers and exactly who is The Captain and why is he so fascinated with The Heathens music?
Patrick Freyne has produced another totally off the wall novel. His characters and dialogue are brilliantly drawn. I could imagine each of them and everywhere they went.
Funny, clever and immensely readable. Experts is not the laugh-fest Mr Freyne gave us in Okay, We'll Do Your Stupid Idea but it is entertaining and there are some truly laugh-out-loud parts. But he mixes this with a thoughtful book about youth, grief, loss and belonging.
I loved it. It's such a gentle book that shows what an entertaining and empathetic writer Patrick Freyne is. I can't wait until he writes another and just hope I don't have to wait too long.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Penguin General UK for the digital review copy. Most appreciated.
November 25, 2025
Experts in a Dying Field (2026) is a sporadically enjoyable and over ambitious book about a fictional Irish band called The Heathens. The band considered themselves "the 1000th best band of all time." After a tragic tour van crash kills one of the members, the surviving members are brought back together twenty years later by weird happenings in Dublin, uncovering mysteries from their shared past. I thought I was going to love this book as I generally love books about bands and music but alas it was just okay.
Patrick Freyne includes a plethora of different characters to try and keep track of, and this is often aligned to all manner of different points of view and styles of writing. I can't fault its ambition but I was often adrift and unsure what was going on. I went with it and found it all very readable but suspect I missed aspects of the story. Or maybe not? None of it felt very consequential.
3/5
The Heathens thought of themselves as 'the 1000th best band of all time'. Then their tour van crashed, and one of their members died.
Twenty years later, weird things are happening in Dublin, bringing the surviving members of the band together in ways none of them could have anticipated and lifting the lid on mysteries from their shared past.
Experts in a Dying Field is a gloriously sharp, witty and surprising novel about friendship, secrets, the strange workings of grief and guilt, and the joyful alchemy of music, from a writer with a unique ability to access humour and deep emotion.
Praise for Patrick Freyne...
'Patrick Freyne is a comic genius' MARIAN KEYES
'A writer of rare humour, depth, and humanity' MARK O'CONNELL
'No one makes me laugh like Patrick Freyne' PAUL HOWARD
'A brilliant writer' BLINDBOY BOATCLUB
'Patrick Freyne has a distinct and enviable gift for story-telling' SINÉAD GLEESON
'One of the funniest writers in Ireland' IRISH EXAMINER
Patrick Freyne includes a plethora of different characters to try and keep track of, and this is often aligned to all manner of different points of view and styles of writing. I can't fault its ambition but I was often adrift and unsure what was going on. I went with it and found it all very readable but suspect I missed aspects of the story. Or maybe not? None of it felt very consequential.
3/5
The Heathens thought of themselves as 'the 1000th best band of all time'. Then their tour van crashed, and one of their members died.
Twenty years later, weird things are happening in Dublin, bringing the surviving members of the band together in ways none of them could have anticipated and lifting the lid on mysteries from their shared past.
Experts in a Dying Field is a gloriously sharp, witty and surprising novel about friendship, secrets, the strange workings of grief and guilt, and the joyful alchemy of music, from a writer with a unique ability to access humour and deep emotion.
Praise for Patrick Freyne...
'Patrick Freyne is a comic genius' MARIAN KEYES
'A writer of rare humour, depth, and humanity' MARK O'CONNELL
'No one makes me laugh like Patrick Freyne' PAUL HOWARD
'A brilliant writer' BLINDBOY BOATCLUB
'Patrick Freyne has a distinct and enviable gift for story-telling' SINÉAD GLEESON
'One of the funniest writers in Ireland' IRISH EXAMINER
June 13, 2026
gets the dubious title of the first book ive read to have namedropped chatgpt. this was fine! i see why it’s marketed for paul murray fans (which is why i read it), though paul murray fans may be disappointed—it’s just not clever enough, though it’s doing a lot. there’s something perhaps unavoidably cringe about band fiction, a sincerity you can’t get away from which is sort of endearing in its own way. tore through it, reading about 150 pages of it each day, which counts for something. i love punk and i love a lot of the bands freyne name drops, yet i dont think we have a similar taste in music: bizarre to me the choice to set the band in the early aughts (awful decade for punks thirty-year-old corpse) rather than the seventies—especially when it forces the end of the novel to take place in like…the 2050s, something freye seemingly hopes we just won’t notice. plus, edie. precocious little girl syndrome—one of my biggest literary pet peeves—strikes again. why, why, why do we keep doing this. if it was ever funny, IF, that was long before you exhumed the horse. come on editor. a few other things they should’ve caught where the welsh character doesn’t know/understand ‘irish’ phrases which are absolutely ubiquitous in the uk (calling someone the ‘spit of’ someone else is also a phrase used here). but fine! makes me want to read more slightly cringe band fiction. somewhere out there a Middle Aged man might love this book. really enjoyed jimmy as character, would’ve liked more from him.
Read
June 22, 2026#Gifted
Experts in a Dying Field is the first work of fiction from journalist and bestselling author of Ok, Let’s Do Your Stupid Idea.
You may also remember Patrick Freyne from such Irish Times articles as that one comparing the British monarchy to clowns, that seems to be seared on all our brains (in a good way).
I really enjoyed this book; it’s sharp and witty but also heartbreaking and nostalgic.
The Heathens, a Dublin-based band made up of various misfits, jokingly refer to themselves as the 1000th best band in the world. Their debut album is a bit experimental but they have potential. That is until their van crashes one night after a gig, with life changing consequences for them all.
Fast forward twenty years later and the remaining members of The Heathens are thrown back into each other’s orbits. They all think they know what happened that fateful night but soon long-held secrets are revealed that will change everything, once again.
I always really admire an author that can make me feel deep nostalgia for a time and place I never experienced. The last few pages of this book left me suspended for a while; I couldn’t figure out whether I wanted to cry, smile, or have a lie down. Maybe a combination of all three.
I loved the characters, who all feel well-rounded and real.
There’s plenty of empathy in this story about loss, grief and guilt. Finding the joy in life even through tragedy, and rekindling friendships are themes I love in a book so I was in my element here.
This is also a genuinely Irish story- no stereotypes to be found, but if you live in Dublin you’ll recognise so much of the geography, colloquialisms, and humour. It’s comforting and funny in equal measures.
If you love a well-told tale with multiple points-of-view, and a good blend of tragedy and humour, then I think you’ll love Experts in a Dying Field. Recommend!
With many thanks @penguinbooksireland for my early copy. All opinions are my own, as always. Experts in a Dying Field is available to buy now.
Experts in a Dying Field is the first work of fiction from journalist and bestselling author of Ok, Let’s Do Your Stupid Idea.
You may also remember Patrick Freyne from such Irish Times articles as that one comparing the British monarchy to clowns, that seems to be seared on all our brains (in a good way).
I really enjoyed this book; it’s sharp and witty but also heartbreaking and nostalgic.
The Heathens, a Dublin-based band made up of various misfits, jokingly refer to themselves as the 1000th best band in the world. Their debut album is a bit experimental but they have potential. That is until their van crashes one night after a gig, with life changing consequences for them all.
Fast forward twenty years later and the remaining members of The Heathens are thrown back into each other’s orbits. They all think they know what happened that fateful night but soon long-held secrets are revealed that will change everything, once again.
I always really admire an author that can make me feel deep nostalgia for a time and place I never experienced. The last few pages of this book left me suspended for a while; I couldn’t figure out whether I wanted to cry, smile, or have a lie down. Maybe a combination of all three.
I loved the characters, who all feel well-rounded and real.
There’s plenty of empathy in this story about loss, grief and guilt. Finding the joy in life even through tragedy, and rekindling friendships are themes I love in a book so I was in my element here.
This is also a genuinely Irish story- no stereotypes to be found, but if you live in Dublin you’ll recognise so much of the geography, colloquialisms, and humour. It’s comforting and funny in equal measures.
If you love a well-told tale with multiple points-of-view, and a good blend of tragedy and humour, then I think you’ll love Experts in a Dying Field. Recommend!
With many thanks @penguinbooksireland for my early copy. All opinions are my own, as always. Experts in a Dying Field is available to buy now.
June 18, 2026
enjoyed this a lot more than i was expecting to!! so funny, so Dublin, made me homesick a little
June 9, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for sending me this e-arc!
Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. I was initially attracted to the synopsis as it's a about a band and their journey through battling grief after a tragic accident, and while this is factually correct, it was written in a way that didn't connect with me.
The beginning started off really strong with introducing the characters and giving snippets into the band's past. We got a glimpse into the tragic accident too which made you invested. I was quite invested up until the 30% mark, and then I was just a little bit bored.
The chapters were in different formats which could be fun and breaks the reading up a little bit, but pretty much half the chapters, we were introduced to new characters that I honestly struggled to connect to. Sometimes I couldn't get my head around who they were related to or where they fit into the story, and that's because there are soooo many characters in this book.
I personally don't like to DNF, but I was seriously contemplating doing exactly that at the 60% mark. While I did power on, I was skim reading it because I just wasn't enjoying it. I'm so sorry!
Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. I was initially attracted to the synopsis as it's a about a band and their journey through battling grief after a tragic accident, and while this is factually correct, it was written in a way that didn't connect with me.
The beginning started off really strong with introducing the characters and giving snippets into the band's past. We got a glimpse into the tragic accident too which made you invested. I was quite invested up until the 30% mark, and then I was just a little bit bored.
The chapters were in different formats which could be fun and breaks the reading up a little bit, but pretty much half the chapters, we were introduced to new characters that I honestly struggled to connect to. Sometimes I couldn't get my head around who they were related to or where they fit into the story, and that's because there are soooo many characters in this book.
I personally don't like to DNF, but I was seriously contemplating doing exactly that at the 60% mark. While I did power on, I was skim reading it because I just wasn't enjoying it. I'm so sorry!
Read
July 10, 2026I’ve always loved Patrick Freyne’s writing. His columns are among the first things I’ll read in The Irish Times, so I was quietly delighted to finally pick up one of his novels.
Safe to say, I absolutely flew through this one. I binge-read it because I simply didn’t want to leave these characters behind.
The Heathens once proudly described themselves as “the 1000th best band of all time.” Their music career ended almost as quickly as it began when a devastating crash after a gig killed their lead singer, Joss. Twenty years later, the surviving band members are pulled back together as old secrets refuse to stay buried.
This isn’t a plot-heavy novel, and that’s exactly why it works so well. The real story is the people.
Freyne has such a gift for creating characters who feel completely lived-in. They’re messy, funny, stubborn, flawed and carrying around decades of guilt, grief and regrets. I found myself completely invested in each of them, and by the end they genuinely felt like people I’d known for years.
The dialogue absolutely crackles. I laughed out loud more than once, yet beneath all the humour sits something surprisingly tender. It’s a novel about friendship, loss, memory and the strange ways we carry trauma long after everyone else thinks we’ve moved on. There’s a real warmth running through it too, reminding us that even after the worst things happen, people can still find each other again.
And then there’s the weirdness.
It’s gloriously odd in places, delightfully off-kilter, and never remotely predictable. Every time I thought I knew where Freyne was taking the story, he’d veer off somewhere unexpected. Somehow it all ties together beautifully.
It’s also unmistakably Irish. Not because it leans into clichés, but because the humour, the conversations, the geography and the small observations about Dublin life all feel authentic. If you know the city, you’ll recognise it instantly.
Very funny. Very sad. Very weird.
Exactly my kind of book, and I suspect these characters will be living rent-free in my head for quite some time.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. As always, all thoughts are my own.
Safe to say, I absolutely flew through this one. I binge-read it because I simply didn’t want to leave these characters behind.
The Heathens once proudly described themselves as “the 1000th best band of all time.” Their music career ended almost as quickly as it began when a devastating crash after a gig killed their lead singer, Joss. Twenty years later, the surviving band members are pulled back together as old secrets refuse to stay buried.
This isn’t a plot-heavy novel, and that’s exactly why it works so well. The real story is the people.
Freyne has such a gift for creating characters who feel completely lived-in. They’re messy, funny, stubborn, flawed and carrying around decades of guilt, grief and regrets. I found myself completely invested in each of them, and by the end they genuinely felt like people I’d known for years.
The dialogue absolutely crackles. I laughed out loud more than once, yet beneath all the humour sits something surprisingly tender. It’s a novel about friendship, loss, memory and the strange ways we carry trauma long after everyone else thinks we’ve moved on. There’s a real warmth running through it too, reminding us that even after the worst things happen, people can still find each other again.
And then there’s the weirdness.
It’s gloriously odd in places, delightfully off-kilter, and never remotely predictable. Every time I thought I knew where Freyne was taking the story, he’d veer off somewhere unexpected. Somehow it all ties together beautifully.
It’s also unmistakably Irish. Not because it leans into clichés, but because the humour, the conversations, the geography and the small observations about Dublin life all feel authentic. If you know the city, you’ll recognise it instantly.
Very funny. Very sad. Very weird.
Exactly my kind of book, and I suspect these characters will be living rent-free in my head for quite some time.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. As always, all thoughts are my own.
February 22, 2026
Got the proof from doing my thing and working in a bookshop!
To start off with the good:
Structure:
The author had alot of fun with experimenting with how the story is told, whether through short chapters describing a music review from a pretentious critic, or one where it turns into a play script. Very creative and enjoyable to read.
Prose:
Very engaging and easy to read, with alot of reflective comments on why music is so important. Quite funny at times too.
The cons are very short but sure:
Characters:
Don’t get me wrong, all the characters are interesting and compelling but I wanted MORE about them. This comes down to the length of the book and the structure taking more precedence. You can feel the depth of the characters, I just wanted more. Abigail in my opinion, is the least fleshed out really.
Overall a very solid novel debut and quite touching, I just wanted abit more from it as well.
To start off with the good:
Structure:
The author had alot of fun with experimenting with how the story is told, whether through short chapters describing a music review from a pretentious critic, or one where it turns into a play script. Very creative and enjoyable to read.
Prose:
Very engaging and easy to read, with alot of reflective comments on why music is so important. Quite funny at times too.
The cons are very short but sure:
Characters:
Don’t get me wrong, all the characters are interesting and compelling but I wanted MORE about them. This comes down to the length of the book and the structure taking more precedence. You can feel the depth of the characters, I just wanted more. Abigail in my opinion, is the least fleshed out really.
Overall a very solid novel debut and quite touching, I just wanted abit more from it as well.
June 18, 2026
A lot of characters which sometimes got a little confusing but overall this was full of heart, feeling and made me laugh.
August 15, 2026
Thoroughly enjoyable read.
September 17, 2026
WHY ARE THERE TEN CHARACTERS ON THE FIRST TWO PAGES ????????
way too much and also literally nothing happened. just couldn’t get into it. three stars bc it was well written and a good book but two stars bc it’s just not for me and it was painful to read.
way too much and also literally nothing happened. just couldn’t get into it. three stars bc it was well written and a good book but two stars bc it’s just not for me and it was painful to read.
October 2, 2026
Didn’t expect to enjoy this book when I started it. There were some characters/chapters that I didn’t feel were necessary, but in the end I found myself enjoying it more than I thought I would. I did skim through a few chapters.
September 26, 2026
1.5 stars
July 19, 2026
A really great book. Very funny at times, with lots to remember. Also some sad moments. Without ever having been in a band myself it still gave me some beautiful moments of nostalgia to the days I had following bands. Strongly recommend reading this one.
October 1, 2026
Could never really get a handle on this book. Pop group involved in a nasty crash. Wrong person goes to jail. Years later things are sorted out. The end.
June 21, 2026
3.5
This is a real grower of a story... for the first 50% or so I was struggling to connect and get into a flow with it....But I was enjoying the character interactions even though I was, admittedly, fiercely confused as to how the individual elements were connected for a bit too long in the journey. Even now, writing this, I'm unconvinced it fully worked in terms of plot delivery.
That being said, by the end I found I was smitten with the story, the characters and I enjoyed the novelty of the more "left of field" concepts.
There are moments of truly stunning prose and lots of great humour contained within. Even with my minor grumblings, I would still recommend to a friend.
This is a real grower of a story... for the first 50% or so I was struggling to connect and get into a flow with it....But I was enjoying the character interactions even though I was, admittedly, fiercely confused as to how the individual elements were connected for a bit too long in the journey. Even now, writing this, I'm unconvinced it fully worked in terms of plot delivery.
That being said, by the end I found I was smitten with the story, the characters and I enjoyed the novelty of the more "left of field" concepts.
There are moments of truly stunning prose and lots of great humour contained within. Even with my minor grumblings, I would still recommend to a friend.
January 15, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
‘Experts in a Dying Field’ is a found media collection of bits and pieces, as well as narrative, that builds into the story of an underground in Ireland that never quite made it to the big time. It was a really well presented book and I enjoyed the context all the pieces put into the story- it felt very much like drawing all the fragments together to form a full picture.
I think the disconnect for me a bit was in how many characters there were and what we learn about them. I don’t feel I got to know them as people, which was really disappointing, as I feel it would have added a lot to the story for me. I just wanted to get to know them outside of the band context, and I didn’t feel as much of that heart was there.
I do think that the central mystery was enough to keep me engaged though, which I appreciated- and there were satellite conundrums that were good as well. I just wanted a little bit more punch in how we saw these people as a whole.
Also the cover for this one? Gorgeous. Such a beautiful design.
‘Experts in a Dying Field’ is a found media collection of bits and pieces, as well as narrative, that builds into the story of an underground in Ireland that never quite made it to the big time. It was a really well presented book and I enjoyed the context all the pieces put into the story- it felt very much like drawing all the fragments together to form a full picture.
I think the disconnect for me a bit was in how many characters there were and what we learn about them. I don’t feel I got to know them as people, which was really disappointing, as I feel it would have added a lot to the story for me. I just wanted to get to know them outside of the band context, and I didn’t feel as much of that heart was there.
I do think that the central mystery was enough to keep me engaged though, which I appreciated- and there were satellite conundrums that were good as well. I just wanted a little bit more punch in how we saw these people as a whole.
Also the cover for this one? Gorgeous. Such a beautiful design.
August 5, 2026
As a huge music fan I had high hopes for this debut Irish novel and I was delighted that it delivered a quick, entertaining read with a fantastic cast of characters, a lot of emotion and a few laughs.
Life never works out as we imagine. The members of the new indie band, The Heathens, have dreams of making it big. They have realistic aspirations of aiming to be the 1000th best band of all time, but it all falls apart when their tour bus crashes, injuring some and killing lead singer Joss.
Twenty years later in Dublin the survivors are brought together as their lives cross unexpectedly. What have they all been doing for twenty years and what does life have in store for them now?
It's a story of the promise of youth, growing up in the music scene. A story of coming to terms with the mistakes of the past, coping with grief, guilt and secrets.
In the way that a band is the sum of its parts, the novel is an ensemble cast. Everyone is the main character in the book in the way that we all are in our own lives.
There are musicians and artists, a rock star, publicans, an Irish priest, an alcoholic, a financial businessman, vagrants and homeless, migrant care workers and a gay couple that took a while to come out of the closet.
It would have been easy for the characters to appear generic but the author has avoided stereotypes by making them well-developed & multi-faceted with all the flaws of real people and his ear for dialogue is spot-on.
The conversations provide a lot of humour backed up with emotional heft.
There are multiple points of view as you would expect with an ensemble cast but we also get chapters from such diverse viewpoints as a golden, urban fox, God, and a ghost. The writing about our perceptions of ghosts was very clever.
You don't have to know much about music to enjoy this but I think there are universal themes of life here which will resonate with most readers.
Witty, sad and empathetic.
Life never works out as we imagine. The members of the new indie band, The Heathens, have dreams of making it big. They have realistic aspirations of aiming to be the 1000th best band of all time, but it all falls apart when their tour bus crashes, injuring some and killing lead singer Joss.
Twenty years later in Dublin the survivors are brought together as their lives cross unexpectedly. What have they all been doing for twenty years and what does life have in store for them now?
It's a story of the promise of youth, growing up in the music scene. A story of coming to terms with the mistakes of the past, coping with grief, guilt and secrets.
In the way that a band is the sum of its parts, the novel is an ensemble cast. Everyone is the main character in the book in the way that we all are in our own lives.
There are musicians and artists, a rock star, publicans, an Irish priest, an alcoholic, a financial businessman, vagrants and homeless, migrant care workers and a gay couple that took a while to come out of the closet.
It would have been easy for the characters to appear generic but the author has avoided stereotypes by making them well-developed & multi-faceted with all the flaws of real people and his ear for dialogue is spot-on.
The conversations provide a lot of humour backed up with emotional heft.
There are multiple points of view as you would expect with an ensemble cast but we also get chapters from such diverse viewpoints as a golden, urban fox, God, and a ghost. The writing about our perceptions of ghosts was very clever.
You don't have to know much about music to enjoy this but I think there are universal themes of life here which will resonate with most readers.
Witty, sad and empathetic.
July 16, 2026
📚 Title: Experts in a Dying Field
✍️ Author: Patrick Freyne
🗂️ Genre: Fiction
❤️ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I started reading this book after a recommendation I heard on a podcast, I didn’t really do any of my own research of my usual ‘due diligence’ and took the recommendation and dived straight in. Sometimes having no preconceptions can free you up from having expectations, in a good way. This was one of those times!
The book revolves around the four members of a band, the 1000th best band of all time, according to their creative genius, Joss. Events of the past collide with the present as the band mates are forced back together. Revelations about what happened many years ago, and some of the consequences that they are trying to avoid need to be met head on.
As well as the band members, there are a cast of other characters who are in some way linked to the band, either in the distant past or forming a part of their lives in the present. I really enjoyed the way the story moved from different perspectives and told different stories, and sometimes different versions of the same story. I particularly liked the foxes chapter, very cool and original. It’s great when a book throws up something from left field that makes you reread to check you understood it correctly the first time!
Good book, easy reading and not very long. Another good choice for relaxing around a pool or chilling on a beach.
✍️ Author: Patrick Freyne
🗂️ Genre: Fiction
❤️ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I started reading this book after a recommendation I heard on a podcast, I didn’t really do any of my own research of my usual ‘due diligence’ and took the recommendation and dived straight in. Sometimes having no preconceptions can free you up from having expectations, in a good way. This was one of those times!
The book revolves around the four members of a band, the 1000th best band of all time, according to their creative genius, Joss. Events of the past collide with the present as the band mates are forced back together. Revelations about what happened many years ago, and some of the consequences that they are trying to avoid need to be met head on.
As well as the band members, there are a cast of other characters who are in some way linked to the band, either in the distant past or forming a part of their lives in the present. I really enjoyed the way the story moved from different perspectives and told different stories, and sometimes different versions of the same story. I particularly liked the foxes chapter, very cool and original. It’s great when a book throws up something from left field that makes you reread to check you understood it correctly the first time!
Good book, easy reading and not very long. Another good choice for relaxing around a pool or chilling on a beach.
August 19, 2026
It's not a book for everyone and I would hesitate to recommend it to some of my book-loving friends, but I fell in love with the characters in this Dublin-set novel about a band that was set to implode twenty years ago and whose demise was hastened by a fatal car accident. Some of the criticisms revolve around the sheer number of characters. Yes, there are a lot and I did find myself flipping back a few pages to recall just who they were/are but they all have a part to play and they all have their stories resolved by the end. It's a quick and easy read with short chapters in various formats. All the characters were embued with a real poignancy as a result of the death of their leader/friend/son/brother (I especially liked Father Frank's discussions with God). There is humour here (Burton's attack on his AI supplanter and eventual reconciliation with same) but mostly it's the evocation of the strong friendships of our youth and how those friendships evolve/survive.
Thanks to Kate O'Shea for the recommendation. Your taste continually guides me.
Thanks to Kate O'Shea for the recommendation. Your taste continually guides me.
August 3, 2026
It is surprising that there are not more novels about being in a band. Bands would appear to have the qualities – internal group dynamics, competing ambitions, almost inevitable disappointment and disillusionment – to make for enthralling fiction.
In “Experts in a Dying Field”, Patrick Freyne nails the crazy claustrophobia of being in a music group going nowhere quickly, while also writing evocatively about the bonds of friendship that such bands forge.
Freyne maybe introduces too many characters simultaneously during “Experts in a Dying Field”, and it can be hard to keep track of all of them at first. The book also goes ‘a bit mad’ when God and a golden fox turn up as central characters.
Notwithstanding Freyne’s occasional literary experiment that doesn’t quite come off, I found this empathetic and soulful story to be absorbing. Freyne is an inventive but kind-hearted storyteller, who constructs his characters with a wit shot through with an underlying sadness.
In “Experts in a Dying Field”, Patrick Freyne nails the crazy claustrophobia of being in a music group going nowhere quickly, while also writing evocatively about the bonds of friendship that such bands forge.
Freyne maybe introduces too many characters simultaneously during “Experts in a Dying Field”, and it can be hard to keep track of all of them at first. The book also goes ‘a bit mad’ when God and a golden fox turn up as central characters.
Notwithstanding Freyne’s occasional literary experiment that doesn’t quite come off, I found this empathetic and soulful story to be absorbing. Freyne is an inventive but kind-hearted storyteller, who constructs his characters with a wit shot through with an underlying sadness.
June 12, 2026
I always like to read the one and two-star reviews of books because I think they can tell you more than the five-star ones (she said, giving this a five-star rating). And I think the ones for this book are pretty accurate. Yes, it is more like a collection of short stories than a single coherent novel. Yes, it is pretty ambitious and there are a lot of characters, and it does sprawl, and it doesn't all resolve.
But I liked those things about it, though.
It's also as funny as you'd expect a Patrick Freyne novel to be, without in any way being a comic novel. All in all, most enjoyable, well done everyone.
But I liked those things about it, though.
It's also as funny as you'd expect a Patrick Freyne novel to be, without in any way being a comic novel. All in all, most enjoyable, well done everyone.
June 28, 2026
Patrick Freyne has written a terrifically entertaining music novel full of humour and empathy. The members of the Heathens and their stalled careers felt as nostalgic and authentic as any rock biography and it was enjoyable seeing them interact with each other, meeting again after a 20 year break with all the grief, guilt and baggage they carried.
Each chapter had a different point of view, which became a little confusing as there are many characters and some side plots, but all in all I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would be keen to read other novels by Patric Freyne.
My thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for an advance review copy.
Each chapter had a different point of view, which became a little confusing as there are many characters and some side plots, but all in all I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would be keen to read other novels by Patric Freyne.
My thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for an advance review copy.
December 26, 2025
For the majority of this book, I very much enjoyed it.
I felt the warmth and friendship between these characters.
Their pain, and the struggle to put lives back together.
It made me feel all nostalgic for old friends (I hadn't been in a band with)
It had a cast of wonderful characters, from the main band, to Becca and Edie. Each perfect for what was needed of them.
But some scenes just felt a bit off to me, I always think I'm not quite understanding the context. I'm a simple person 😃
It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book, just left me momentarily puzzled.
I felt the warmth and friendship between these characters.
Their pain, and the struggle to put lives back together.
It made me feel all nostalgic for old friends (I hadn't been in a band with)
It had a cast of wonderful characters, from the main band, to Becca and Edie. Each perfect for what was needed of them.
But some scenes just felt a bit off to me, I always think I'm not quite understanding the context. I'm a simple person 😃
It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book, just left me momentarily puzzled.
May 28, 2026
This felt more like interconnected short stories than a novel. I usually read books pretty fast, but I was reading this one over a long time, as it did not fully draw me in - possibly because there were many characters and at times I kept forgetting who was who. The novel felt nostalgic, and I really wanted to like it as I have a soft spot for books about music, bands, etc. but it just missed the mark for me. I can see how this might appeal to older audiences (I think I might be too young for it) 🫣
Many thanks to the publisher for the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Many thanks to the publisher for the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
June 26, 2026
A rambling series of vignettes in search of a narrative and plot.
Freyne is an Irish Times journalist, and this book is clearly inspired by Bill Hicks & the gonzo journalism of Hunter S Thompson. A central casting pool of predictable characters wander in & out of this book, and there is little to recommend here.
As I doubt I will ever grace the pages of the Times, I won't don the green and gush over it unlike the authors who've endorsed it.
An undemanding read (or a pool side read) all I can say is don't give up the day job.
Freyne is an Irish Times journalist, and this book is clearly inspired by Bill Hicks & the gonzo journalism of Hunter S Thompson. A central casting pool of predictable characters wander in & out of this book, and there is little to recommend here.
As I doubt I will ever grace the pages of the Times, I won't don the green and gush over it unlike the authors who've endorsed it.
An undemanding read (or a pool side read) all I can say is don't give up the day job.
August 11, 2026
This is a well written book with a good storyline and interesting characters. The story is about an Irish band, 20 years after a tour bus crash where Joss, the founder of the group does. The story follows the other band members and other people connected to their lives and the band. I found it quite funny at times too. I got very invested and wanted to keep reading. I enjoyed the book from the perspectives of the different characters. A nice read that I would recommend. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy for an honest review.
September 18, 2026
Reads like it was written by someone who's not themselves a reader, who didn't consume books by the yard growing up -the lack of a plot, the writing in snippets, the present tense, dialogue that's overblown and never quite rings true. Apparently Marina Hyde, the sharp and witty Guardian columnist, both laughed and cried. Really?
When the characters are these boozy layabouts, maudlin and unfunny, then the author has to be a level of intelligence above, and bring out the humour, the pathos and drama on their behalf. This he doesn't do - he understands no more than his characters do.
When the characters are these boozy layabouts, maudlin and unfunny, then the author has to be a level of intelligence above, and bring out the humour, the pathos and drama on their behalf. This he doesn't do - he understands no more than his characters do.
July 18, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is a fast-paced, witty, and well-crafted story that reads like a music-driven social pulp novel with clever, engaging prose. However, there is a bit of an over-introduction of characters who are not integral to the plot. The author could have spent more time developing the main characters rather than the side ones. Overall, it is a really good summer read.
September 2, 2026
You know those books aimed at 10year olds who don’t read. And those books are absolutely crammed with what is deemed funny stuff. Recurring jokes. Having a laugh about alcoholics, racist old ladies, homelessness, schizophrenia. But at a very superficial level.
The bits that gave me insight into indie music world worked. And the prose is good in that a lot is conveyed between the lines rewarding careful reading. Hence the extra star.
But overall too ambitious a book not entirely clear what it’s trying to be.
The bits that gave me insight into indie music world worked. And the prose is good in that a lot is conveyed between the lines rewarding careful reading. Hence the extra star.
But overall too ambitious a book not entirely clear what it’s trying to be.
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